Correctional Corporation Of America
October 7, 2011
Former Bureau of Prisons Director Comes Out of Retirement For Private Prison
Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Director Harley Lappin (55) enjoyed a 25 year career of distinguished service when he announced that May 7, 2011 would mark the beginning of his retirement. He had been director for about 8 years. That announcement also came at around the same time as a revelation that Lappin had been arrested for driving under the influence near his home in Annapolis, MD. According to numerous news sources, the BOP has stated that Lappin’s resignation had nothing to do with the DUI event. Okay, we’ll give him that...
LINK - Forbes.com
August 6, 2008
Private prisons hold on in hard times
One more profit report for you to blame on the slowing economy: The Postal Service announced today it lost $1.1 billion dollars for the quarter that ended in June. Officials blamed higher fuel costs and less mail being sent in lean economic times — it's down 5.5 percent from last year.
Even though we usually do think of it as a government operation, the post office is a private company and the same can be said for some prisons in this country. Most of them are government-run, but about 7 percent of the incarcerated population is housed in prisons run by for-profit corporations.
The biggest of those companies, Corrections Corporation of America, reports profits tomorrow. Like any other company, rising prices have raised their cost of doing business and its customers — federal, state and local governments — are facing tight budgets…
LINK - PublicRadio.org
May 20, 2008
Corrections Corporation of America Announces Contract Award From the Office of Federal Detention Tru
NASHVILLE, TN, May 19, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) —-Corrections Corporation of America (NYSE: CXW: 25.55, -0.06, -0.23%), the nation's largest provider of corrections management services to government agencies, announced today that it has been awarded a contract by the Office of the Federal Detention Trustee (OFDT) to design, build and operate a new correctional facility located in Pahrump, Nevada, approximately 65 miles outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. CCA's new 1,072-bed Nevada Southern Detention Center is expected to house approximately 1,000 federal inmates and detainees from the United States Marshals Service as well as potential populations from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Prisons…
Now we know why CCA is pulling out of it's State and County contracts… their Federal contracts seem to pay off better - and getting a "friend" on the inside [more: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6] doesn't hurt either…
May 19, 2008
Privatization Update: May 19, 2008
Privatization Update
May 12-18, 2008
California Privatization
May 13 - California's prison medical care receiver is investigating the death of an inmate who was being housed in Mississippi. 'I'm told it was an asthma-related death,' said receiver's spokesman Rich Kirkland. Corrections officials identified the inmate as Robert Washington, 41, of San Joaquin County. Washington was serving seven years for vehicle theft.
Autopsy results on Washington's death are still pending. Washington died at the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility, owned and operated by CCA. Washington is the second inmate moved under California's out-of-state transfer plan to have died in custody since the program began two years ago. Anthony Keely, 48, died last May from an apparent heart attack while watching a fight involving other inmates. There are now 3,765 California inmates serving time out of state.
Overall Privatization
May 18 - The federal government is accepting bids for up to three new family detention centers that would house as many as 600 men, women and children fighting deportation cases. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a call for proposals and set June 16 as the deadline. New facilities are being considered on both coasts and on the Southwestern border. The agency calls for minimum-security residential facilities that would provide a 'least restrictive, non-secure setting' and provide schooling for children, recreational activities and access to religious services.
Aramark
May 12 - The company that feeds Florida prisoners has racked up nearly $250,00 in fines since the beginning of the year for violations including not having enough food and staffing shortages. That brings the total fines for Aramark to more than $864,000 since 2001 when the state hired private companies to take over feeding the more than 92,000 inmates in Florida prisons. More than $300,00 of Aramark fines have been rescinded by the Department of Corrections. The department let Aramark off the hook for hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines under Corrections Secretary Jimmy Crosby, now in prison for taking kickbacks from contractors. Corrections officials are questioning Aramark's ability to provide quality food in sufficient quantities. The officials also say they are concerned about the company's staffing levels.
CiviGenics
May 14 - A Texas man who smuggled marijuana into the Bowie County Correctional Center while working as a guard pleaded guilty and received a 10-year term of probation. Marquise Hunt, 21, had been working as a guard for CiviGenics for about two months when he was caught bringing three sandwich bags full of marijuana into the jail. A confidential informant
alerted jail officials to the marijuana in Hunt's possession.
May 15 - In Texas, the Grassroots Leadership organization has sent a letter to Fort Bend County Judge Robert Hebert to voice the groups concern about the plan to send Fort Bend County inmates 500 miles away to the privately run Dickens Correctional Center. 'My organization, Grassroots Leadership, is a 28 year-old southern-based organization that opposes the use of for-profit prisons, jails, and detention centers.
The Dickens County facility itself has been the site of many disturbing reports over the past year,' said Bob Libal, Texas Coordinator of Grassroots Leadership. Libal noted several serious incidents pertaining to the Dickens County Correctional facility, including: Moving prisoners hundreds of miles from family members is bad public policy. Studies show that isolation of prisoners from their family members increases recidivism and undermines public safety. Children of these inmates will suffer from lack of contact while parents and spouses have additional anxiety from not being able to see their loved ones. Conditions at the Dickens County Correctional Center are historically unsafe and unsanitary. DCC became the subject of national scrutiny last year after the suicide of Scot Noble Payne, an Idaho inmate held at the prison.
The Idaho Department of Corrections health director called the facility the worst prison he'd ever seen and 'beyond repair.' The current management of DCCC has had a string of management problems at other facilities. Management of the facility has changed ownership from the GEO Group to another private prison corporation, CiviGenics. CiviGenics has had its own record of poor jail operations in Texas. A guard at CiviGenics Texarkana facility was indicted on civil rights charges in 2005 for alleged sexual activity with a female inmate.
Similarly, at CiviGenics Waco unit, a guard was indicted for sexual contact with a female inmate. And just last month, an inmate took his own life at CiviGenics managed prison in Ector County, Texas. It is important to note that counties can retain liability for incidents which happen at private facilities.
Cornell
May 15 - Cornell has named Brantley, Georgia as one of three candidates for a 1,200 to 1,500-bed facility that would house illegal aliens awaiting deportation. Before further exploring Brandley County sites, Cornell asked for a unanimous resolution of approval and the commissioners gave it to Cornell. Chairman Terry Thomas expressed reservation, especially about Cornell's promise to house no violent offenders. 'I'm skeptical about the fact that it's to be used only for illegal aliens,' Thomas said. 'Plus, I'm cautious about it because it will be operated under contract and those are given on a competitive basis. What happens if Cornell losses the contract" The Brandley County Development Authority also endorsed the facility. 'We are contacting Cornell and saying we have met your first requirement and actually have gone a step further by having the Development Authority pass its own resolution,' County Manager Chuck Madray said. Cornell has requested that the county provide it with four possible sites. Madray said four privately owned tracts have been lined up. 'We have verbal agreements from all four of the landowners,' Madray said. 'All would be willing to sell.' The next move is up to Cornell. 'We're asking them to tell us what the next step is,' Madray said.
Corrections Corporation of America
May 13 - CCA has informed Bay County, Florida that it would be abandoning its local operations in 150 days, or Oct. 1. 'Where our path will take us, we don't know,' Bay County Commissioner Chairman Jerry Girvin said of the question left in CCA's wake. 'It's been a long-term relationship, but it's probably one that's run its course, and it's time to go separate
directions.' Girvin said the two most probable options would be to either run the jail as a county department or turn operations over to the Bay County Sheriff's Office. CCA, which has operated the area's jails for more than 20 years, citied financial concerns as the reason for pulling out of Bay County. Locally, CCA employs 290 people. Warden Joe Ponte said the average jail employee makes about $28,000. CCA entered into a new contract with Bay County in 2006 that stipulated a per-inmate rate of $46.18 per day. Last year, the company was paid $15.8 million. The six-year contract
also called for CCA to expand on the facility, which would serve as the area's only jail once the downtown location is closed. County officials said the work should be complete before CCA's October departure. At times, officials have indicated CCA's bang for the buck has not been sufficient.
Since first beginning work in Bay County in October 1985, the private correctional company has weathered a number of storms that caused local officials concern. Last November, CCA released nine inmates early by accident. In June 2007, an inmate fashioned a plastic utensil into a lock-pick and broke out of his cell. In 2005, a CCA nurse was fired after an inmate gave birth inside the jail annex four hours after complaining of labor pains. Another nurse, as well as a supervisor, was fired for having sex with an inmate. In 2004, a nurse was shot in a hostage standoff after inmates escaped from their cells. CCA said such instances were not a factor in the decision to leave town. Recently, county officials have made strong statements directed at CCA in regard to the company's mishaps.
'They're going to run it right, or we'll get somebody who will run it right,' said County Commissioner Mike Nelson, following the accidental inmate release.
May 14 - The Colorado Department of Corrections is returning 120 prisoners who have been housed in an Oklahoma prison to Colorado prisons. Many of the inmates had been housed at a private prison in Sayre, Oklahoma, since January of 2007 because of a shortage of bed space at Colorado prisons. The prisoners will be taken mostly to two private prisons run by CCA, which also runs the Oklahoma prison.
The GEO Group
May 15 - About 170 workers will be laid off at the South Florida Evaluation and Treatment Center in Florida. The center, which is a 100-bed forensic psychiatric hospital whose patients are admitted by court order, is managed by GEO Care under contract with the state Department of Children and Families. GEO spokesman Pablo Paez said the state Legislature decided to close the facility in its recently approved budget. The company hopes to accommodate 30 to 40 percent of the employees at other facilities. Because of the slowing economy, the Legislature cut $5 million from the state budget. GEO Care is a part of GEO Group.
May 16 - Guards are confirming sexual assaults claims at the South Texas Detention Complex run by the GEO Group. Guards say the sexual abuse of female immigrants there has been going on for years and that GEO is trying to cover it up. ICE is now sending a Detention Facilities Inspection Group team to review compliance with ICE detention standards and will make
recommendations based on the results of its review.
Prison Health Services
May 12 - A former nurse at the York County Prison in Pennsylvania filed a federal lawsuit alleging gender and race discrimination. Oral Marsh, who is black, alleges in the lawsuit that she was subject to a pattern of discrimination including racially themed comments and abuse. March claims that she was hired in October 2005 and fired almost a year later without warning or reason. Marsh was one of only four black nurses out of almost 70 working at the prison. She is seeking an unspecified amount of lost wages, health benefits and other compensation. The lawsuit names York County and Prison Health Services. The county contracted with PHS for medical care at the facility until 2006.
Wackenhut
May 14 - In New Hampshire, three nuclear power plant security officers were the triggermen during separate accidental shootings during the past nine months. The most recent incident involved an off-duty Seabrook Station security officer who accidentally shot a 9mm bullet through his hand and will face criminal charges after making some medical progress. The second incident occurred when a power plant officer trainer pulled the trigger of his Springfield Armory handgun and shot a .45 caliber bullet through the floor of his apartment and into the living space below. A third recent shooting occurred when a guard was holstering a 357 SigArms pistol and a round went off in the nuclear plant armory. Seabrook power plant officers are not employed by the plant, but by Wackenhut, a $3 billion global security provider.
May 16 - Metro Nashville is asking Wackenhut to reimburse the city more than $840,000 for expenses related to a break-in last year at the Davidson County Election Commission offices. Metro Law Director Sue Cain wrote a letter to Wackenhut lawyer Jim Vines, a former U.S. attorney for Middle Tennessee, requesting the reimbursement. Wackenhut was responsible for
security at the Metro Officer building in December, when thieves stole two laptop computers containing the Social Security numbers of 337,000 voters. Wackenhut subcontracted with a Mt. Juliet firm, Specialized Security Consultants, to secure the building. An audit found Wackenhut had billed Metro for some days when security guards actually didn't work at the facility. Cain asked Wackenhut to pay the city $48,387 for the audit by Kraft CPAs; $21,575 for security services that were not provided; $235,757.35 for two mailings to voters; and $534,391.75 for the cost of identity-theft protection for more than 56,000 voters who responded to the city's offer to pay for a year of protection.
